Have you ever asked a job applicant how old they are? If you have, you might be breaking the law. A leading Singapore employment lawyer looks at which interview questions could land you in hot water.

Two employers were fined a total of $41,000 for failing to buy work injury insurance for staff, and for not compensating workers for their injuries, said Singapore’s ministry of manpower (MOM).

After being found guilty of both offences, renovation firm Valiancy Enterprise was fined $20,000, while Ridgeway Marine and Construction's sole proprietor Suriakumar Ridgeway Ramaiah was fined $21,000.

Valiancy had failed to pay a carpenter $25,000 in compensation after an accident with a wood-cutting machine in November 2015. Investigations by MOM at the time had also found that the firm did not insure five employees.

Besides the fine, Valiancy has been barred from applying for and renewing work permits for six months. The firm has also fully compensated its worker.

As for Ridgeway, Ramaiah had only managed to clear about 30% of the total compensation amount to a marine trades worker by MOM’s stipulated deadline. Ramaiah had also failed to insure 11 employees at the time of the accident.

On top of MOM’s fine, Ramaiah has similarly been barred from applying for and renewing work permits for six months. Additionally, he was also sentenced to 120 days in jail for defaulting on the fine and worker’s compensation.

Employers may be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to a year or both, if found guilty of failing to compensate or insure workers.